the Virginian was gasping for breath, and he did not seem to hear
the words of his second.

"That settles it," said Puss Parker, promptly.

"Better wait and see," advised Bruce Browning. "Diamond may not give up
when he gets his breath."

"It doesn't look as if he'd ever get his breath again."

Harry Rattleton was at Frank's side, swiftly saying:

"Why didn't you knock him out and show the fellows what you can do? You
monkeyed with the goat too long. He's stuffy, and you had to settle him
sometime. It didn't make a dit of bifference whether it was first or
last."

"That's all right," smiled Frank. "He's got sand, and I hated to nail
him hard. It seemed a shame to thump such a fellow and cover his face
with decorations."

"Shame? shame?" spluttered Harry. "Why, didn't he force you into a duel
with rapiers, or try to? and he is an expert! Say, what's the matter
with you? If I'd been in your place I'd gone into him tooth and nail,
and I wouldn't have left him in the shape of anything. Have you got a
soft spot around you somewhere, Merriwell?"

"I admire sand, even if it is in an enemy."

"You take the cherry pie--yes, you take the whole bakery!"

Harry gazed at his roommate in wonder that was not entirely unmingled
with pity and disgust. He could not understand Merriwell, and such
generosity toward a persistent foe on the part of Frank seemed like
weakness.

In the meantime Ditson had been urging Diamond to get up.

"They'll call the scrap finished if you don't get onto your pins in a
jiffy," he warned. "Horner's got his watch in his hand."

Still the Virginian gasped for breath and seemed unable to lift a hand.
If ever a fellow seemed done up, it was Diamond just then.

Roll Ditson ground his teeth in despair.

"Oh, Merriwell will think he is cock of the walk now!" he muttered.
"He'll crow and strut! He's laughing over it now!"

"Wh-what's that?" gasped Diamond, trying to sit up.

"He is laughing at you," hurriedly whispered Ditson, lying glibly. "I
just heard him tell Rattleton that he could have knocked the stuffing
out of you in less than a quarter of a minute. He says you'll never dare
face him again."

"Oh, he does! oh, he does!" came huskily from Diamond's lips. "Well,
we'll see about that--we'll see!"

With Ditson's aid he got upon his feet. Then his breath and his strength
seemed to come to him in a twinkling. With a backward snap of his arm he
flung his second away. Then uttering a hoarse